NEWSLETTER
One of the Chicago Bears’ biggest offseason needs is a wide receiver who can catch passes and draw defensive attention opposite of DJ Moore.
And in the eyes of one NFL pundit, that player is Tampa Bay Buccaneers free agent Mike Evans. Here is the prediction from ESPN’s Aaron Schatz in an early look-ahead to the offseason:
Big prediction for the offseason: The Bears will use the No. 1 pick on a new quarterback and invest in that quarterback by signing Mike Evans, one of the top free agent wide receivers. Evans has 10 straight 1,000-yard seasons and would pair nicely with DJ Moore in this offense.
That *IS* a big/bold prediction. Playmakers like Mike Evans don’t tend to hit free agency. And when they’ve been with one team as long as Evans has been with the Buccaneers, the expectation that such a player actually makes it onto the open market tends to be low. But with Evans at this particular time, that might not be the case.
One reason players like Mike Evans don’t make it to free agency often is because of the Franchise Tag. In most offseasons, I think the Bucs would gladly tag Evans and keep him around for at least another year. But with All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr., Pro Bowl linebacker Devin White, and quarterback Baker Mayfield also set to hit free agency, giving Evans the Franchise Tag might not be as easy of a decision as we might otherwise think.
In other words, there is a non-zero chance that Evans makes it to free agency. This isn’t to say the Bucs won’t try hard to keep him. Heck, TB might shock us all and give Evans the tag and risk Winfield or White making it to free agency. Whatever the case is, the Bears should keep an eye on what is happening with the Bucs ahead of free agency.
Should the Bears target Mike Evans in the offseason?
Mike Evans is one of the NFL’s best receivers and is on the cusp of hitting free agency. One NFL pundit predicts the Bears will sign him. Should they?
Considering that the Bears are still led by a defensive-leaning head coach and could stand to upgrade at safety with a stud player hitting his prime years, we can still discuss Antoine Winfield Jr. potentially hitting free agency at another time. But, for now, we can put our focus on Mike Evans because his fit his too perfect not to offer up as a possible Bears offseason target.
Evans’ résumé is legit. If you’ve been watching football for the last decade or so, then you already know. Evans has five Pro Bowl appearances, 10 1,000-yard seasons, and five years with 10+ touchdowns under his belt. At 6-foot-5 and 231 pounds, Evans would provide a different dynamic to the Bears’ collection of receivers that the team didn’t have last year. Adding a wideout with size and length is the type of thing Chicago’s front office should be prioritizing this offseason. And he is coming off a year in which he led the NFL with 13 touchdowns. The Bears could stand to add touchdown scorers to Shane Waldron’s offense.
As a nice bonus, we just watched Mike Evans light up the Detroit Lions to the tune of 8 catches, 147 yards, and a touchdown in a road playoff game:
Yeah, I could totally find myself enjoying watching Evans snag passes from Justin Fields (or Caleb Williams) (or Drake Maye) over hapless Detroit defenders. Where do I sign up?
After seeing the video above, you might be curious what the cost of doing business for a player of Evans’ caliber. This is where our friends at Pro Football Focus can be helpful.
PFF’s 2024 free agency guide has Evans as the 13th-highest-ranking free agent and one of the top available wide receivers. Even though Evans is already 30, he figures to be in demand (if he makes it to free agency). With that in mind, PFF projects a 3-year deal worth up to $69 million with $52.5 million guaranteed. It would be a nice deal for Evans, who might enter free agency looking for one last big contract. And since OverTheCap.com projects the Bears to have $46.876 million in available cap space, Chicago could be the tam to give it to Evans.
But any Evans pursuit comes with a warning:
Evans’ free agency will be tricky and has a wide range of outcomes, with nagging soft-tissue injuries seemingly bothering him for years now. There could also be sticker shock with recent outcomes on 30-plus-year-old receivers. Nonetheless, there is no reason he should ask for less than the recent crop of players, including Davante Adams, who effectively signed a three-year, $67.7 million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders.
OK, so a an Evans pursuit in free agency could be costly and risky. Then again, scared money don’t make money. And the juice is worth the squeeze on some gambles. In the end, we’re still so early in this process that it isn’t worth going too deep. However, this feels like a good time to start getting our offseason wish lists going. We’ve got 48 days until NFL free agency opens its doors with the legal tampering period. Stay tuned.
